Nova Scotia is getting $2.35 million from the federal government for provincial programs that will aid victims of crime, federal Justice Minister Rob Nicholson announced Thursday at Halifax’s IWK Health Centre.

Most — $2 million — will go to the provincial government over the next five years for programs that support victims of crime. The remaining $350,000 will go to create a child advocacy centre in Halifax. Central Nova MP Peter MacKay and provincial Justice Minister Ross Landry also took part in the announcement.

The IWK will use the $350,000 to set up the centre and may investigate methods to create satellite centres throughout the Maritime provinces, Nicholson said. The centre will help young victims and witnesses get treatment, counselling, court preparation and other services.

The centre will be the first of its kind in Atlantic Canada and is intended to ease the stress and pain faced by young victims, said Dr. Amy Ornstein of the IWK’s child protection team.

Community Services workers will direct young clients toward the program, she said. A major change compared to the existing situation, is that joint investigations, conducted by social workers, police and others, will all be done at the centre, she said.

“The child and family will only have to come to one place and that place is a child-friendly setting where the child will feel safe,” Ornstein said. “They won’t be interviewed in a police station.”

Advocates will be assigned to each child to ensure they are aware of available help, court dates and so on, she said.

Asked if $350,000 was enough to make much of a change, Ornstein said, “It’s a kick-start to the project. We’re going to maximize what we can get out of that.”

Gathering more information could enable them to access more money in the future, Ornstein said.

“We want to have room for growth,” she said.

The $2 million for Nova Scotia’s Justice Department is intended to assist victims navigate the justice system, which can be a “very difficult chore” for them and witnesses to crime, Nicholson said. It will ensure their voices are heard.

The federal government is doling out $11.6 million countrywide for the program.

“We’ve always made the protection of law-abiding Canadians among our top priorities,” he said. “We believe that victims deserve to have a strong and effective voice in the federal justice and corrections system.”

The investment is intended to promote victims’ access to the justice system, promote policies to address victims needs and study the impact of victimization, among other things.